Turmoil! Republican House Leadership Changes

The Republicans are beginning to eat their own. Good sources for DC gossip (eg, the lobbyists who live and work there and whose livelihood depends on knowing who's in charge) make it clear that Dennis Hastert is ready to walk out the door as Speaker of the House as early as January.

But why shouldn't he? With Karl Rove's crippled status and Tom DeLay's criminal indictment, the Republicans are in disarray. The conservatives still don't think Bush is right-wing enough (sheesh!) and the so-called moderates have chafed under their leaders for so long that they are hopping to make a move after years in the wilderness. Dennis Hastert was never really in charge anyway and DeLay's anemic replacement, Temporary Majority Leader Roy Blunt (Missouri) has proven inept. Last week's inability to pass a spending bill that would have cut more money from programs supporting the elderly and poor proves the point.

To whom will the House Republicans turn? They don't know. The Hill newspaper tried to outline some of the potential new kids in a November 15 article. For majority leader in 2006, the paper writes that "interim Majority Leader Roy Blunt and Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner (Ohio) are the most likely candidates to face off for the No. 2 spot." Then there's the Speaker of the House. What if Hastert does give up in the next couple of months? Blunt, Boehner, and Republican campaign chairman Tom Reynolds (NY) are all mentioned. Here's The Hill'srundown of future right-wing leaders: >>>cont


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